1. Field
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to data networks. In particular, embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods of transmitting data frames to and from devices coupled in a data network.
2. Background Information
Media access control (MAC) devices typically transmit data frames according to established network communication protocols such as the Ethernet protocol. For example, a source MAC device may transmit a data frame to a destination MAC device through a data network. The data frame typically includes a header portion and a data payload portion. The header portion may have a field for a network address of a source MAC device and a field for a network address of a destination MAC device. The data payload portion may include a part of a larger data item to be received at the destination MAC. A process may transmit several data frames through a source MAC device to the destination MAC device as part of a large data item which cannot be transmitted in the data payload of a single data frame.
The network coupling the source and destination MAC devices typically includes one or more data switches for routing data traffic among several MAC devices. Each of the data switches typically includes several ports for coupling directly to either another data switch or a MAC device. The data switches may be coupled together such that data frames transmitted from a source MAC device to a destination MAC device may be routed through two or more data switches before being received at the destination MAC device. Such a network of data switches may couple ports together to provide a spanning tree protocol in which one switch is coupled to a switch external to the mesh and all other switches are coupled to the central switch in a hierarchical tree structure.
While the spanning tree structure provides an effective system for transmitting data traffic between MAC devices coupled to the network and nodes outside of the network, the spanning tree structure does not make efficient use of the data switches in the network for transmitting data frames between MAC devices in the network. Therefore, there is a need to provide systems and methods which more efficiently use data switches in transmitting data between MAC devices in a data network.